Dichotomy
by DragonFlySpy
Summary: Two parts of the same whole, broken apart. Darkness and light. Souls linked in an endless cycle of rebirth. The Avatar and the Protector. Reincarnated together, protecting and finding balance. Aang has emerged from the ice berg, and his Protector has traveled from her world to his.
1. When You're Raised by Wolves

I was lost now I'm found,  
I'm sustained by the sound,  
Of the angels singing me to sleep,  
**While my feet are leaving the ground, **  
**Am I dead? Or am I dreaming instead? **  
A cornucopia of opiates have flooded my head

**I'm insane, I am smart, **  
All it takes, is a spark, to ignite my bad intentions,  
And do what I do best to your heart,  
**Don't be fooled I was raised by the wolves, **  
**Now the moon hangs in full, so you know I won't play by the rules **

I WILL NEVER SPILL

Spill My Blood For You

YOU HAVE LET ME DOWN  
One too many times

Someway Somehow, we've fallen out,  
**Caught in between my enemies**,  
No way not now, I won't back down,  
I draw the line at you and me,  
Your what I started, now disregarded**, **  
One day they'll see, it was always me

Due to mistakes, I have made to the state,  
I am trapped inside a Dillinger,  
Diligently thinking of ways to get out of this god awful place,  
I have learned that **my fate is something I can't escape** so,

SOUND THE ALARM, We Were Dead From The Start,  
AND I'LL NEVER LET YOUR SYSTEM BREAK ME DOWN OR TEAR ME APART,  
**DON'T BE FOOLED I WAS RAISED BY THE WOLVES, **  
**NOW THE MOON HANGS IN FULL SO YOU KNOW I WON'T **  
**Play by the rules! **

I WILL NEVER SPILL  
Spill My Blood For You  
YOU HAVE LET ME DOWN  
One too many times

Someway Somehow, we've fallen out,  
Caught in between my enemies,  
No way not now, I won't back down,  
I draw the line at you and me,  
**Your what I started, now disregarded, **  
One day they'll see, it was always me.

OH! THIS IS THE END OF YOU!  
THIS IS WHERE I DRAW THE LINE!  
AND I WON'T LOSE!  
**THIS WAR IS MINE! **  
OH!

Spill my blood for you!  
One too many times!

Someway Somehow, we've fallen out,  
Caught in between my enemies,  
No way not now, I won't back down,  
I draw the line at you and me,  
Your what I started, now disregarded,  
One day they'll see, it was always me.

ONE DAY THEY'LL SEE,  
IT WAS ALWAYS ME!

**IT WAS ALWAYS ME!**


	2. As My Feet are Leaving the Ground

**Hello! Welcome to Dichotomy…I've recently begun to edit what parts of this story I have written and write the pieces I haven't. This is a long process. I'm sorry for that. But I've been conceptualizing this story and trying to figure out **_**why**_** things are happening in for close to three years now. I hope you enjoy! Also! I started working on this before I read **_**Son of Neptune**_** so Dakota isn't the Dakota from the books. In other words, she is not a Kool-aid crazed son of Bacchus. Also, I have a drawing of her on my profile, as well as her past incarnations if any ones interested ^^ **

Dakota's eyes snapped open and she leapt from her bed, her socked feet making a soft sound as they landed on the floor. She spun, her eyes searching the darkness of her dorm for an enemy, her fists raised to strike…

…and then she realized that the man with the skeleton mask who had been attacking her had all been a dream.

Dakota let out a deep breath and pushed her black hair out of her face. The dreams had been getting more vivid lately. Looking around the room, she found the source of the nightmare. One of the girls had left the small DVD playing TV in the corner on. It was an episode of _Avatar: The Last Airbender_, from season one if she wasn't mistaken. Zuko's hair was still in that weird ponytail thing. That had probably been what triggered the dream.

Dakota was beginning to despise that TV show. Marie, the girl who owned the disks, was obsessed with them. She played them whenever she had the chance, falling asleep to them practically every night. Dakota nearly had them memorized by now.

She yawned and stretched, popping her back. There was no way she would be getting back to sleep tonight. Looking around the room, she found that all of her dorm mates had slept through her little episode.

She dressed quickly in dark colors and braided her long ebony hair down her back, very thankful she could see in the dark. Wearing colors like black and grey had its advantages when one's only hobby was creeping about at night.

It was easier to sneak around camp after dark, although that was a strictly forbidden practice. However, there was an unspoken law at Camp Jupiter that, as Jason had once so eloquently put it: "If you're stupid enough to get caught, you deserve to be punished," although, the statement had been followed by "Now you go spray paint Octavian's hair pink. I'll go get the fireworks."

She ran, slipping into the shadows. She ran, wrapped in the fabric of the night, to a hill across the freeway from camp. It was quiet. It was empty. She could see the stars. Outside of camp the world was open, breathable. Not that she wasn't proud to be a soldier of the Roman Empire…but camp seemed stiff. Like it wasn't moving at the right speed, or operating at the right temperature. It was like the air was too humid. Too hot. She sat down, legs stretched in front of her, her head craned back so she could see the stars. It was a nice night. No clouds, just silver splattered sky.

Dakota jumped as a hair-raising snarl. She lurched to her feet and spun around, slipping her ring, a silver ouroboros, off her finger and clutching it tightly in her hand. She ran her thumb over the head of the snake, and, with a sharp click, the ring morphed into a two foot long gladiatorial sword made of stygian iron.

Her grey eyes scanned the surrounding area, trying to pinpoint from where the growl had come.

Suddenly, seeming to appear out of nowhere, a glowing blue dragon charged at her, growling fiercely. Its enormous mouth opened as it swooped towards her, numerous teeth glittering.

Dakota let out a startled cry and threw herself backwards, swiping uselessly at the dragon's belly as it flew right over her. She scrambled to her feet, sword raised. The dragon just gave her an amused look as an elderly, and recognizable, figure stepped off.

No. Just no. There was no way that was Avatar Roku. Avatar Roku didn't exist. Period, the end.

"Dakota, put the sword down please. Fang didn't mean to frighten you," Roku said, walking towards her in all his ethereal glory.

Dakota didn't move. He was there. He was actually there. Not just a projection, or a monster in disguise, he was there. She could feel his spirit, his life force, right in front of her. It was like standing near a candle, she couldn't see the warmth but she could feel it.

"I am Avatar Roku," he continued, tucking his hands into his sleeves.

"Yeah, I got that. Why are you here?" Dakota demanded, finally getting her voice back. There was no way a cartoon character just decided to take a casual stroll through the real world and just happened to bump into her, "And how do you know my name?"

She didn't like this. It wasn't right. It was definitely a ghost, she could _feel_ it. It could be a spirit who changed their image…but it wasn't. She recognized his soul. The pulse of life in him. It was familiar. Really familiar. She had felt it before.

"Do you recognize me?" Roku asked. She got the feeling he wasn't talking about his face.

"Maybe," she allowed, standing straight.

"You know me, don't you? You can't quite put your finger on it, but you know me. You remember me," Roku said, looking at her with a peculiar glint in his eyes.

Dakota narrowed her eyes.

"How?"

"The same thing would happen if Avatar Kyoshi, Avatar Kuruk, or Avatar Yangchen appeared to you," Roku paused to see if she was listening intently enough. "I know you by many names. From many different lives. Your soul and the soul of the Avatar have been intertwined since the beginning of time. Your duty is to watch over the Avatar, and make sure he or she does not die before bringing balance to the world. In my time you were Laurel, also a daughter of Pluto. Touched by the Earth rather than shadows and death. You watched over me."

Dakota stared at him for a moment, as if expecting him to suddenly say "Just kidding! You're actually just hallucinating because Octavian slipped drugs into your food again!"

But Roku didn't. He just stared at her, as if she would suddenly remember having been Laurel and protecting him.

It wasn't that the idea of reincarnation was anything new to her. Spirits were reborn as different people every day. She had probably been Laurel at some point. The problem was that Avatars weren't real. They were from a TV show. Avatar Roku, and Kuruk, and Aang, and Yangchen, and Kyoshi didn't exist.

…and the Olympians were just myths and demigods didn't exist.

"Let's say I believe your world is real. What does that mean for me?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"You were born to protect the Avatar. Your mother sent you to Lupa so young so you could train, and be safe. Lupa kept you for those two years so you would be better prepared. You're meant to travel to my world. To protect Aang. To help him defeat Ozai," Roku explained, tucking his hands into his sleeves.

Born for a purpose. Her mother had told her that the last time she had seen her. Her father had told her the same thing once, the one time she spoke to him after the Titan war. Lupa said it many times. The repetition made sense now. And…it felt right. Being with Roku, basking in the near constant glow of his soul. It felt normal. Familiar. But-

"What's with the TV show then? It's ended. Everyone's fine. Fire Lord's been defeated. Peace and happiness and all that. Why do you need me?" she demanded.

"It hasn't happened yet. The protectors are given a…gift per se, for risking their lives to help the ambassador of their world, the Avatar. It's a glimpse of the future. The perfect future. It's a goal. A rope to guide you home through the blizzard. You'll notice you aren't in it?" explained Roku. There was still a very peculiar look in his eye. He looked old. Haggard. Almost sad.

"Yeah, I noticed," she said dryly, "It's showing me what I have to achieve, but not how to get there, right?"

"Exactly," Roku approved, a touch of a smile on his face. Dakota sighed, rubbing a hand over her face.

"But why wasn't I told?" she asked, her posture beginning to relax.

"We weren't sure Aang would wake up now. It could have been seventy years ago. It could have been one hundred years from now. But then the future manifested in this world, so we knew it was time."

"Do I have a choice?" she asked.

"There's always a choice. But…I would _strongly _recommend that you choose to come," he stressed, giving her a severe look.

"In other words," she chuckled, " 'Come with me if you want to live'?"

"Something like that," Roku smiled wryly. Dakota nodded, chewing her bottom lip.

"Right. And after I go, when the war is over, do I get to come back?" she asked, her thin brows pushing together.

"Yes. When Aang is no longer threatened with death every day, you will return her. I will come and retrieve you if you are needed again, Roku promised.

"And if I die?" she asked.

"That is…a bit complicated. You literally have two lives. One there, and one here. If you die there, you will be alive here, but you won't be allowed to return. If Aang dies, you will be returned here, with no way of going back. If you die here, then you're dead. Although, you dieing at all would not be a good thing," Roku said pointedly, giving her a sharp look.

Dakota held her hands up, "Not arguing with you there…Do I get to pack? To say goodbye and stuff?" she asked.

"Yes. Take your time," Roku looked sad again. Dakota nodded, "I'll be right back, it won't take long," she said, turning on her heal and ran into the shadows.

She stepped out in her dorm, a list of things she needed running through her mind. She grabbed her back pack and, as silently as she could, began shoving her possessions in. _Think of it as a vacation_ she told herself…socks, a pair of jeans, shorts. A pair of sweat pants. T-shirts. Underthings. She had her jacket and shoes. She added her dagger…she wouldn't be able to bring armor. Hair ties! She needed something to put her long hair up with. And a hair brush…

Suddenly panic struck. She'd be trapped in a different world for who knows how long. Her back-pack filled up quickly, stuffed to the brim as she tried to prepare for every scenario.

Dakota took a deep breath, forcing herself to relax. In a way she was excited. She had never been anywhere other than Camp Jupiter and the Wolf House. Now she'd be traveling all over a strange foreign world…and there was the panic. She forced herself to calm. She was packed. Now she just needed to say goodbye to Jason.

They were comrades, competitors. "Frenemies," Jason had once jokingly called their relationship. He was almost a sibling. They had been Lupa's pups together, and survived the trek to Camp together.

She slipped into his barrack and shook him awake, pressing her hand over his mouth when his eyes opened. Silently she pointed to the door, and he nodded. Jason rose from his bed and followed her out of the room.

"What's up?" he yawned blearily. He knew she wouldn't bother him like this unless something really important had come up.

"Apparently the Avatar the Last Airbender TV show is real, and I have to go protect Aang, and Roku came on his magical spirit dragon to pick me up-" she began.

"What?" Jason said, looking more alert, "Start from the beginning," he ordered, grabbing her shoulders.

Dakota took a deep breathe, and quickly explained the events of the past hour, "So I'm leaving," she finished finally, "And I don't know how long I'll be gone. But I thought I'd tell you…"

Jason was silent, his face twisted in a pensive frown, "You're just…leaving? How do you know it's really him?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"You can shoot lightning and fly, and I can run through shadows and feel spirits. I don't question it. But he's real. And he's Roku. And…I've felt this soul before. I don't know…it's weird. But It makes sense. Born for a purpose? Born to protect? Wasn't that the crap Lupa was constantly spewing at us? You toppled Saturn. I'm going to go protect the Avatar. I'll be back, don't worry," she smiled.

Jason sighed, running a hand over his short blond hair, "I know. It's just another mission. You can handle it," he smiled back, "Kick some butt for me, okay?" he asked, poking her.

She laughed, "I will, give Octavian Hell for me, okay?"

"You know it," Jason grinned, but the expression faded. "Be careful though, you know I worry when you go on solo missions."

"I know. Don't worry, I'll be fine…" she promised, "Back before you know it."

"You better," his voice was playfully stern as he pulled her into a tight hug. She squeezed him back.

"I'm going to miss you," he murmured into her hair.

"You too," she responded softly.

He pulled away and made a shooing motion, "Now go. Don't keep magical spirit Roku and his dragon waiting."

Dakota chuckled, "See you around, Jay," she spun, vanishing.

Jason stared at the spot she had just vacated, all traces of humor falling from his face and being replaced with pursed lips and a worried frown, "Be careful Dakota," he begged.

Dakota reappeared in front of Roku, "Alright," she said, nodding briskly, I'm ready. How am I getting there?" she asked. Roku smiled, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

"We'll take Fang," Roku said.

Fang lifted his head, seeming to give her a toothy grin.

"Of course we will," Dakota muttered.

"Oh come on. You used to do it all the time. He won't hurt you," the elder Avatar laughed.

"Alright," she muttered. Roku climbed on, before extending his hand to help her board. With an action that felt incredibly final, she took it, and shivered as a cold wave seemed to pass through her. Looking at her hand still clasped in Roku's she found they were the same shade of blue, and she was glowing softly.

Roku helped her climb up, although he didn't need to. It was automatic to step on the leg, grab a spike, swing her leg over, and wrap her arms around his middle. This seemed to please Roku.

"Hold on," he said. She could picture the mischievous smirk on his face as he flicked the reins. Fang shot into the air, and Dakota clung more tightly to Roku. But suddenly everything felt safe and normal, her red hair swirling around her face, mixing with Roku's dark locks, their laughter mingling in the air-

Wait.

That wasn't her memory.

Fang dove into the ground, thankfully passing seamlessly through. Seconds later they burst into the sky. Dakota took a deep breath. The air was different here. Easier to breath. Everything was brighter, more crisp. The colors more intense.

"You can feel the difference, can't you?" Roku asked, turning to peer at her over his shoulder.

"Yes," she replied softly, looking around. They were flying over the ocean at the moment, towards land. A bustling port filled with sail boats and bustling people dressed in bright greens and reds.

Fang began to circle over the town, slowly easing lower and lower.

"I'm leaving you here. Orders from up above. You're about a month and a half from Aang's awakening." Roku said.

"What? Where do I stay for a month and a half? I've got no money and I'm a foreigner!" Dakota said alarmed.

"Iroh of the Fire Nation can be trusted. He will recognize you, if you show him hour abilities. He will help you," Roku promised, "He's here now."

Dakota nodded, "Okay…so this is good bye I guess?"

Roku smiled sadly, "For now. Good luck, Dakota."

And then she was falling, tumbling through empty air.


End file.
